Family receives $3K bill for guard rail that killed daughter

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LOUDON CO., TN (WVLT) – A Tennessee family is still reeling from the death of a 17-year-old relative.

The young woman died in a car accident when she hit a guardrail.

In addition to the loss, the family suffered another wound, when state officials mistakenly sent a bill for damage related to the fatal wreck.

Hannah Eimers was just 17-year-old and had her whole life ahead of her.

But her life ended last November on Interstate 75 near Niota when her car left the roadway and hit this guardrail.

Stephen Eimers says the yellow and black piece on the end isn’t safe and TDOT knows it, “TDOT knew this was dangerous that it wasn’t performing well they removed it but their policy was to leave it on the road playing Russian Roulette with people’s lives.”

There are currently 1000 similar end pieces on Tennessee roadways.

Late Friday afternoon TDOT told me they will be removing the x-lite end terminals in speed zones over 45 miles per hour which covers most of the one thousand guardrails similar to the ones Hannah struck.

On top of that months after the accident TDOT accidentally sent Hannah a $3,000 bill for damaging the guardrail.

A bill TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi says was an error in processing that they are very sorry for and a bill Steven Eimers won’t have to pay. A department spokesperson, Mark Nagi had this to say, “That was a mistake. It never should of happened. We’ll take measures to make sure that never happens again.”

But as for the guardrails similar to the one that Hannah struck, they will be changed.